


One step forward

by Laevateinn



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Canon Compliant, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, I understand Steve's decision, Mild Angst, Peggy had a life dammit !, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Sam Wilson Needs a Hug, Slice of Life, Steve abandoned them both, bucky gets a haircut, but i hate it, pre Falcon & Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24235231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laevateinn/pseuds/Laevateinn
Summary: The hairdresser approached and lifted her pair of scissors. She took a strand of hair and snapped shut the tool. A piece long like his hand fell to the floor. The first one. As she cut and cut his hair, the only physical Hydra reminder he could get rid of, he zoned out. His eyes fell onto his own reflection. All he could see was a man with wet hair that was bracketing a worn-out face. An old, weary soul trapped in a young-ish body.~An emancipation of sort, featuring a Bucky who has nothing left, and everything to build again (and it starts with a new haircut).
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson
Kudos: 21





	One step forward

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everybody !
> 
> This is the first time I've written anything in the MCU since it came out (I had written an additional scene, but that's all).  
> I still am not over the ending, so you should feel a bit of resentment in this xD
> 
> I wanted to post something today, for the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, but I didn't have time to write much, so here is this small story I wrote the other day after I went myself to the hairdresser !

_In. Out. Breathe, Barnes. It’s just a haircut._

The man opened his eyes, his gaze falling onto his hairdresser. Asian, 30, married, small white dog. Non-threatening, used to traumatised people -veterans. Her warm smile stopped his assessment. She was there to cut his hair; she wasn’t a threat.

“Are you ready, sir ?”, she asked. She had been waiting for five minutes already.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Are you sure ?” Was he ? Not really, but he couldn’t postpone indefinitely anyway. So, he nodded.

“If you don’t feel comfortable, tell me. We can stop at any moment.” He nodded again, not trusting his voice. She is safe to trust he repeated himself. Sam personally recommended her. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted the new Captain America sitting in a worn-out chair. He was pretending to read, whilst observing Bucky. Good, but he would have to be better to fool him.

Leela approached and lifted her pair of scissors. She took a strand of hair and snapped shut the tool. A piece long like his hand fell to the floor. The first one. As she cut and cut his hair, the only physical Hydra reminder he could get rid of, he zoned out. His eyes fell onto his own reflection. All he could see was a man with wet hair that was bracketing a worn-out face. An old, weary soul trapped in a young-ish body.

A few minutes later, Leela’s soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Here. The rough cut is done. Are you still good ?”

Bucky looked -really this time- at his face. His chestnut hair was now short, with parts spiking up in every direction. At the realisation, a small weight lifted from his chest. Part of him had still associated his long hair with Hydra, and seeing it gone was a small relief.

Bucky levelled up his gaze to her eyes and gave her a nod, and a small smile. It was not much, but still one of the biggest these days. The gesture seemed enough the woman, though, because she continued. Piece by piece, his hair was modelled into a nice, short, cut.

As she finished, she gave him a huge smile, to which he responded the best he could.

Bucky then studied his reflection. His new appearance. His hair didn’t quite look like it used to before the war, but it was close. His chest constricted at the thought. _Don’t go there, Barnes. Don’t think about it._ Thinking about his life before the war would lead to _Steve_ , and he. Would. Not. Go. There.

It was too late, thought, his mind had already jumped to a dozen of memories. His chest felt compressed and suddenly he was feeling dizzy. Couldn’t he have just one nice thing, a day of respite ?

“You all right Barnes ?” Sam. Freaking shrink. Of course, he would have spotted his change of behaviour.

“I’m fine”, he grumbled. “Thank you Leela.”

“My pleasure”, she answered.

After a detour by the cash register, the two men exited the hair salon. Sam went first and stopped a few meters away on the pavement to look at him. Bucky took a deep breath and lifted his head to watch the blue sky, clear of clouds, unlike his heart. He took a step forward, a voice screaming he was missing something at the back of his head.

_Here is to the first step of my new life._


End file.
